Search - Jake Speed on DVD

Damian M. (ratchet)
Reviewed on 3/11/2009...

Yet another film which has flashes of Indiana Jones, or maybe, more accurately, Romancing the Stone. Based on pulp comic mens adventure type books, this story follows an adventurer hired to save a woman's sister from white slavery. Much the same set-up as Eaten Alive or even Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, but none of those movies are at all similar. The humor was for the most part lost on me as I didnt care for the actor delivery of the material (which he, apparently, wrote).

Pulp fiction brought to life on the big screen

brownigga2 | New Orleans, LA | 08/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The characters are underdeveloped and one-dimensional; the soundtrack is only a shade better than the synth-pop soup of "Day of the Dead"; the actors sound like they're reading directly off an unrevised script; and the plot is about as loose and messy as a rice krispie marshmallow treat. All these little nuances aside, "Jake Speed" has got to be, hands-down, the greatest action/adventure B-movie I've ever seen. The title character (played brilliantly by unassuming "everyman" Wayne Crawford) is a bona-fide dime novel adventurer, seeking to defeat the nefarious forces of evil with the aid of his disturbingly effete partner Des and ingenious little innovations such as "The Kid" (a super-powered automatic shotgun!) and H.A.R.V. (an armored Jeep with side-mounted machine gun turrets!). As you might expect, moral absolutism (the titanic, interminable struggle of the good heroes vs. evil villains) and cheap sensationalism abound, just as they would in any good piece of bad action-melodrama. If you're in the mood for a cute, tongue-in-cheek, low-budget iteration of early-twentieth century action serials or just one laugh after another from a ceaseless torrent of cheesy heroic one-liners, pick up your copy of "Jake Speed" today!"

Great Action Hero Movie

Daniel And Barbara Sullinger | Phoenix, Az United States | 08/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the few action hero movies I like, the story has a great twist, sound track good , picture even better, this is a movie to have fun whilre watching, not a great story but keeps you interested, if you like Remo Williams, Buckaroo Bonazi, X-men then you'll like this movie."

Jake Speed - An Everyman Fighting For "The Right Thing"

P. Casey | Canada | 02/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jake Speed is not a movie to over look. Wayne Crawford is not the bulging muscled "Rambo" that was expected during the mid 80's, but his portrayal of Jake Speed proved that one man can make a difference. The movie locations were great and characters convincing. Andrew Lane knew how to mix the beauty of Africa with the horrors of civil war. Jake and his sidekick Des had a great history together as Des would record their adventures, then publish them (ie; Mack Bolan, Doc Savage)under an assumed name (Reno Melon) causing people to believe that "Jake Speed" wasn't real. Karen Kopins shined in this role and it's a pity that her career never took off from this film. Kopins and Crawford had a classic love/hate relationship not seen in today's films. And what can be said about Mr. Hurt? It has always been said that a hero is only as good as his nemesis alows him to be. John Hurt's performance as Sid, the evil white slaver was superb! His character's total brutality was matched only by his need to destroy Jake Speed's character, that there was no place in the world for decent and honest people. Some people may find the film a tad slow in pace during the first of the movie, but the action and characters during the 2nd and 3rd Act more than make up for it! This movie was not a box office mega-smash, but don't let that deter you. If you are looking for a fun ride, witty story telling and characters, and the classic battle of good triumphing over evil, give this film a try!"